What To Do Tonight: See rock stars, then party like them

Wednesday

Jan 23, 2008 at 12:01 AMJan 23, 2008 at 1:52 PM

Snow still rests on the ground, but the winter concert freeze must be thawing because the big, accessible alt-rock shows keep coming. Tonight's entree comes in three courses courtesy of Editors, Hot Hot Heat and Louis XIV at Newport Music Hall, 1722 N. High St. The trio of guitar-wielding post-punks—one a British Interpol clone, one a promising, quirky bunch of Canadians that never quite fulfilled their potential, one a Brit-bating post-punk act with a lot of good ideas—should put on an enjoyable show, but don't expect it to be one for the ages. (Although, if memory serves, Hot Hot Heat slayed at Cincinnati's Top Cat's back in the Make Up the Breakdown days.) I'm shocked Editors are big enough to headline over Hot Hot Heat (pictured), and that even together these three have the power to fill up Newport when the Walkmen were stuck down in the Basement last night. Doors open at 7 p.m. for this $17 show.

After that show—or during it, if you please—head next door to Bento Go Go, 1728 N. High St., where Carma and his rotating DJ crew will hold it down with Baltimore club, hip-hop, electro and more. Here Carma promises "music is eclectic and is everything form 90s pop to current electro and hipster." Sounds like a splendid time. I should mention that this guy is responsible for bringing a ton of great DJs to town, mostly to Skully's, and he has been working to pick up some of the rock music slack since Little Brother's left. Seems like a good guy, that Carma.

On TV we're left with a bunch of lowest common denominator game shows and reality programming. MTV premieres its third Real World vs. Road Rules Challenge: The Gauntlet at 10 p.m., while FOX's lie-detector farce The Moment of Truth kicks off at 9. Hey, at least there's a new Reno: 911 on (10:30 p.m., Comedy Central)!